I had no choice but to accept the paper bag at Cho-yeon’s insistence.
“How old did you say you were? How do you manage this big house all by yourself?”
“Nineteen, I said. So you think I can’t do this?”
I clapped my hands in admiration.
“You look young for your age. You look like you’re seventeen, it’s amazing.”
At my words, Cho-yeon put his hand to his forehead. I continued to tease Cho-yeon, saying he looked young for his age. Cho-yeon bristled and shouted.
“How long are you going to keep speaking informally to me? You’re younger than me yet you always use banmal, it makes me feel kind of annoyed.”
“Hyung… be punished, you sinner. You’re older than me yet you’re obsessed with the hyung title.”
“That’s not funny. Since you won’t call me that no matter what, it’s making me stubborn for no reason.”
Cho-yeon spoke seriously. I smiled carefully while watching Cho-yeon’s mood. Then I looked inside the paper bag for a moment. To the point of becoming stubborn, he must be pretty annoyed.
“Hyung, anyway, I’ll eat well. Thanks.”
I said casually and lifted my head. Cho-yeon, who had come close, made a deflated expression.
“Ah, this is annoying.”
Unlike usual when he always spoke in a clear voice, Cho-yeon muttered in a soft voice. I was surprised by Cho-yeon’s close face and joked around.
“Hey, it’s kind of burdensome seeing your face up close.”
“Then move away.”
Cho-yeon pushed me lightly. I obediently stepped back. My footsteps echoed in the apartment hallway, and as I moved away, Cho-yeon made an even angrier expression. I tried to hide my surprised demeanor.
“Anyway, I probably won’t be able to come to your house much from now on. Sorry.”
“You obviously don’t know this, but you have to come back to return the side dish containers.”
I made a dumbfounded expression. When I tried to return the bag, Cho-yeon blocked it as if swatting it away.
“You’re using such a sophisticated trick?”
“So you really didn’t know. You’re really clueless. Come again to return the side dish containers.”
As if imitating me, Cho-yeon clapped his hands while laughing. I deliberately made an uncomfortable expression, then ended up laughing.
“Gladly. I’ll come again next time too.”
Then it might be an opportunity to figure out how I feel about Cho-yeon. I habitually smiled. No matter how I think about it, being swayed by three people at the same time doesn’t make sense. I want to end this situation as soon as possible.
“Acting like you’re doing me a favor. I don’t know where the kid who insisted he wouldn’t come went.”
Cho-yeon closed the door with a laugh. Inside the bag, the side dish containers clattered as they bumped into each other. Left alone in the hallway, I passed through the now-familiar apartment corridor and pressed the elevator button.
Inside the elevator that arrived, there was a mirror. I got on the elevator and looked at myself in the mirror. The me in the mirror somehow looked anxious. Guilt and excitement alternately pressed heavily on my heart.
***
“They definitely asked us to hand out the notices, so why are we taking a stroll around the school?”
I walked around the quiet cafeteria area with In-sae. In the middle, In-sae bought two pizza breads and handed one over.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. But what are you doing right now?”
In-sae asked while looking at me walking almost stuck to the hallway wall.
“Right? Since when have I been doing this? You should have told me earlier.”
I blinked in surprise and moved away from the wall. Actually, even though I was quite far from In-sae, I kept being conscious of them. So as I gradually moved away, I ended up walking almost stuck to the wall.
In-sae put the bread wrapper in the trash can and adjusted the bundle of notices. A kid who had been walking alone moved to one corner of the hallway.
“Oh, you’re that kid. Same class in middle school.”
Then the kid pointed at me and acted like he knew me. I was about to hand over a fan club notice when I stopped and looked at him. In-sae carefully observed the kid and me.
“I remember. You’re the one who really liked the Five Great Kings, right? Don’t you recognize me?”
“Huh?”
I made a stupid sound as I asked back. When it seemed I didn’t remember at all, the kid was flustered.
“I transferred here this time, and there was a schoolmate here after all. I remember we were kind of close.”
“Oh, the Class 2 transfer student.”
Hearing that he transferred, In-sae said calmly. I wondered whether to avoid the situation due to an ominous feeling. Seeing my awkward expression, the transfer student changed the subject and subtly withdrew.
“Pizza bread? So there’s a school store here too. Anyway, I’ll go ahead.”
I roughly waved my hand while looking at the transfer student. The transfer student stopped walking and asked while looking at the pizza bread in my hand.
“But am I remembering wrong? You used to pick out all the olives on top of the pizza bread and not eat any of them before.”
“What?”
I asked back almost like screaming. I shouldn’t be like this, but because I was flustered, my expression kept getting distorted. In-sae mulled over the transfer student’s story.
“You made such a fuss saying you wouldn’t eat them while being shocked just looking at them, so even though it’s nothing special, I remember it until now.”
The transfer student who finished speaking disappeared far away. In-sae stared at me intently.
“You didn’t eat olives at all in middle school?”
“Yeah. Since when? They suddenly became edible.”
I answered pretending to be indifferent. I wonder if my words were noticeably unnatural because I was so flustered. So this is why I should avoid transfer students. It’s too much for them to make me go through this ordeal.
“……”
In-sae didn’t say anything and finished eating the bread. It would be better if they interrogated me. I’m scared that In-sae might think it’s suspicious. Becoming more anxious, I gripped the pile of fan club notices tightly.
“Hee-ae!”
I looked around and discovered Hee-ae and called out happily. I was so glad that Hee-ae appeared at just the right time. Hee-ae took half of the bundle of fan club notices and asked.
“Were you in the middle of promotional activities? Lee Seung made you do it.”
“Thanks for helping. Lee Seung said if you’re an Aseon High School student, you have to read all of this paper.”
I answered with a tired look. Hee-ae gave a bitter smile and started walking together beside me. My heart beat pleasantly, but I don’t know if it’s simply because I’m excited or for another reason.
It was while we had been walking for a bit. Hee-ae observed my expression and asked.
“Shi-dan, how are you these days? Isn’t there someone you keep being conscious of?”
It was a question that hit the nail on the head. I’m worried about what to do if my expression was strange just now. I answered with a light laugh as usual.
“The most concerning thing is the exam, isn’t it?”
“An exam isn’t a person though. So there is someone after all?”
Hee-ae pondered briefly then blocked me from answering.
“No, don’t say there isn’t. So there is someone you’re conscious of after all.”
“You’re just deciding that? Was my answer useless from the beginning?”
A cool breeze rushed in through the open hallway window. As if the blowing wind was welcome, Hee-ae looked back at the hallway window and answered.
“Useless? You were subtly avoiding answering, so I tried probing.”
So it was just a random question. I thought he asked really seriously.
“I didn’t avoid it. I was just joking.”
I objected while rolling up my shirt sleeves slightly. Actually, I did avoid answering. Hee-ae, perhaps noticing my lie, asked again.
“But I’m curious if there really isn’t anyone. Have your thoughts changed a bit over the past few weeks?”
My thoughts did change from simply ‘friends’ to something else. Now it seems I need to worry not about whether we’re friends, but whether I like them.
While I was pondering, my gaze met Hee-ae’s golden eyes. He was waiting for my answer with an impatient look.
“Why aren’t you answering? Tell me. Is there really someone?”
Hee-ae said as if clinging. In-sae also gripped my arm tightly as if curious and urging me. I looked at the two of them in confusion. My mouth moved on its own.
“Let’s say there is.”
I answered without knowing it. I don’t know why I gave such an answer. Hee-ae, as if surprised, took a big breath and covered my mouth.
“Don’t say who it is.”
Hee-ae said in an unconfident tone. At the timely approach of someone’s presence, Hee-ae quickly removed his hand and handed out notices. In-sae showed interest as if intrigued.
“Let’s say there is?”
“Do you happen to know the word slip of the tongue? I think I just made a slip of the tongue.”
I tried objecting just in case, but as expected, In-sae ignored it. It seems objections won’t work either. In-sae gestured toward my hand.
“Eat your bread quickly before lunch time ends.”
He stared intently at the olives placed like decorations on top of the pizza bread. It’s a kind of test. If I suddenly don’t eat the olives, I’ll obviously look more suspicious. I slowly started eating the bread. Of course, all the olives too.
It was on the way home from school that day. In-sae suddenly asked.
“Yesterday Han Cho-yeon said he’d share side dishes. Do you know each other’s houses?”
“It ended up that way somehow.”
Back then it was a difficult situation to talk about at school, so I couldn’t help it. I recalled the past while touching the streetlight and turning. Now I’m glad we’ve somehow become able to get along well even at school.
“You’ve even visited each other’s houses? I’ve never been invited to your house.”
In-sae threw out the words casually.
“When are you going to invite me?”
“I’m not sure. Only when the house is empty.”
I walked home while avoiding In-sae’s question. Before, we casually visited each other’s houses, but now I can’t do it. How can In-sae just make such suggestions?
It was when I was pushing away In-sae, who kept asking several times if it wasn’t possible. Perhaps having just finished work, my mother suddenly appeared from behind with a bright smile.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
